Awakened Housewife Ignore Betrayer's Begs (Scarlett) novel Chapter 134

Chapter 134 She’s Changed

But now… she was a completely different person.

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Vincent pulled out a chair and took his seat at the dining table. Vanessa tilted her head, her eyes sparkling with curiosity as she asked, “Dad, I thought you were working late tonight?”

“No,” he replied, his answer brief and offering no further explanation.

Vanessa shoveled a spoonful of rice into her mouth, leaving a few stray grains at the corner of her lips and a tiny smudge of oil on her cheek. She beamed, her entire face lighting up with pure joy. “That’s great! It feels like it’s been ages since we’ve all had dinner together as a family.”

Vincent picked up a napkin, leaned over, and gently wiped the mess from her mouth, a faint, affectionate smile playing on his lips. “Slow down, sweetheart. No one’s going to steal your food.”

Vanessa nodded obediently, then her eyes drifted across the table to where Scarlett sat.

Scarlett was quiet, picking at her food without uttering a single word. Her expression was placid -too placid, almost detached-and Vanessa couldn’t decipher any emotion on her face.

This was a stark contrast to Vanessa’s memories. In the past, the moment Scarlett heard Vincent’s key in the door, her whole demeanor would transform.

But now? Vincent had come home, and Scarlett hadn’t even bothered to get up

and

greet him.

Vanessa remembered how it used to be-Scarlett would hurry to the door to take Vincent’s coat and briefcase, lay out a pair of warm slippers for him, and call out cheerfully, “Go wash up, dinner’s ready!”

A small frown creased Vanessa’s brow. She couldn’t quite understand why things were so different now. But she was too young to articulate the change, so she simply shrugged off the thought and returned her attention to her meal.

Lily emerged from the kitchen carrying a bowl of steamed rice. She set it down in front of Vincent and placed a fork beside it. “Mrs. Stewart prepared all the dishes herself this evening.”

Vincent’s gaze swept over the assortment of food on the table. The rich, savory aroma hit him first-it was that distinct, comforting smell he’d always associated with Scarlett’s cooking. He’d never lived with her for extended periods, but every time he had come home to a meal she prepared, he’d always eaten his fill, and it had invariably led to a better night’s sleep.

Scarlett was an excellent cook. She had an almost uncanny ability to remember his preferences -what he loved and, more importantly, what he detested.

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Chapter 134 She’s Changed

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Truth be told, he had always loved her cooking. It wasn’t just about the flavors; it was the care and attention behind it. She remembered everyone’s favorites.

But tonight, something felt… amiss.

It wasn’t that the food was bad-far from it. Yet, not a single one was his particular favorite. None of the dishes were the ones he would normally reach for first.

He did notice, however, that every single item on the table was something Vanessa adored. The shrimp, the pork ribs-they were all her top picks.

As he picked up his fork, Vincent hesitated momentarily. For the first time, he felt a sense of indecision, unsure which dish to try first.

Reflecting on how Scarlett used to be, Vincent realized the extent of her transformation. Before, he never even had to lift a finger to get his favorite food-she would have already piled it into his bowl before he could reach for it herself.

Now? She seemed entirely focused on her own plate.

Vincent looked over at her. His eyes caught the line of her lashes, long and dark, casting delicate shadows on her cheeks as she kept her gaze lowered. Her silence was profound- unnervingly so-creating a strange, hollow atmosphere in the room where their usual easy conversation should have been.

Even though none of the dishes particularly appealed to his personal tastes, Vincent wasn’t one to complain. He took a bite of the shrimp, followed by a spoonful of soup, and continued eating quietly until he was full.

As he set his fork down, Scarlett was quietly sipping from her soup bowl, her attention still firmly fixed on her own meal. He averted his gaze from her and turned to Vanessa, attempting to fill the lingering silence. “Vanessa, what did you learn at school today?”

Vanessa finished the last of her soup, dabbed her mouth neatly with a napkin, and immediately brightened, eager to share. “Today, the teacher taught us new words-like ‘squirrel’ and ‘autumn’! We also did some addition and subtraction, and we even went outside to draw! She said we were drawing autumn leaves-mine were red and yellow!”

“Oh, and guess what?” she leaned forward, her voice dropping to an excited, conspiratorial whisper. “The teacher said there’s a hiking trip next week, and parents are supposed to come with us!”

Vanessa was practically vibrating with excitement in her seat. When she mentioned the hike, her eyes

darted expectantly between Vincent and Scarlett, her expression brimming with the unspoken hope that both of them would agree to come.

Scarlett heard Vanessa perfectly and understood that hopeful look all too well. Vanessa wanted

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Chapter 134 She’s Changed

both her mom and dad there-just like it used to be.

But Vincent spoke up first, interrupting her train of thought. “Vanessa, let Mom-”

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He was actually about to suggest that Scarlett should go. It was a small gesture, but it felt like an olive branch, an attempt to reintegrate her into their daughter’s activities.

Before he could finish his sentence, however, Scarlett looked directly at Vanessa, her voice calm yet firm, cutting him off. “Vanessa, let Dad take you. I’m on call at the hospital next week, and there’s a charity clinic I have to assist with-it’s something I can’t miss.”

Vanessa’s face fell for just a second as she processed this. Then she turned her wide, hopeful eyes back to Vincent, the plea clear in her expression, silently begging him to say yes.

Meeting Vanessa’s gaze-those big, bright eyes that were a mirror of his own-Vincent found it impossible to refuse. “If my schedule allows, I’ll go with you,” he said, a soft smile finally gracing his features.

Vanessa was so thrilled she threw her arms up in celebration, nearly knocking over her water glass in the process. “Yay! If you come, you can carry me when my legs get tired from walking!”

Vincent reached out and gently pinched her cheek, his smile warming further. “Yes, I’ll carry you. Don’t you worry about that.”

Vanessa continued chattering animatedly, but Scarlett had largely tuned out.

Vincent, however, kept stealing glances in Scarlett’s direction. He couldn’t help it. He was trying to read her, to figure out what was really going on in her head.

Is she genuinely that busy, or is she just making excuses?

Hadn’t she always been the one who cared the most about Vanessa’s school events?

This wasn’t the first time she’d declined an opportunity to spend time with Vanessa, but Vincent still couldn’t make sense of it. He didn’t understand her reasons for pulling away.

After dinner, Scarlett took Vanessa by the hand and led her upstairs to begin their bedtime routine.

Once they had finished washing up, Vanessa changed into her favorite pink pajamas, the ones with little unicorns on the sleeves, hugged her teddy bear tightly to her chest, and looked up at Scarlett. “Mom, can I go say goodnight to Dad before I go to sleep?”

Scarlett nodded, her voice soft. “Alright. But don’t stay up too late, understand?”

Vanessa’s face lit up instantly. She squeezed her teddy bear even tighter, bounced off the bed, and skipped out of the bedroom, her little footsteps pattering down the hallway toward

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Chapter 134 She’s Changed

Vincent’s room.

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Watching Vanessa’s retreating back-so full of uncomplicated joy and innocence-Scarlett let out a quiet, bitter laugh.

After Vanessa left, Scarlett took a shower. Stepping out wrapped in a towel, she realized she’d forgotten to bring her skincare products into the bathroom.

She remembered, though, that Vincent kept several extra bottles of her preferred lotion in his room. She decided she’d just pop in quickly and grab one.

Approaching his bedroom door, Scarlett reached out to push it open. But her hand froze mid- air when she heard Vanessa’s excited, high-pitched voice carrying clearly from inside-loud, bubbly, and full of energy.

“Sabrina, look! I’m all clean and fresh now!” Vanessa giggled delightedly. “What about you? What are you doing right now?”

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